Natural History Meets High Jewelry with Van Cleef & Arpels’ Cosmic Splendor
It’s rare to find a setting where fine art, natural history, and high jewelry blend effortlessly into one experience. But beginning April 11, visitors to the American Museum of Natural History in New York will witness just that with the debut of Cosmic Splendor: Jewelry from the Collections of Van Cleef & Arpels. This celestial collision of cosmic wonder and masterful craftsmanship proves that rare natural diamonds and gemstones don’t just belong in vaults or museums but in orbit around the human body.
Meet the Expert
- Grant Mobley is the Jewelry & Watch Editor of Only Natural Diamonds
- He is a GIA Graduate Diamonds Graduate
- He has over 17 years of jewelry industry experience, starting with growing up in his family’s retail jewelry stores
Set inside the Museum’s Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery, part of the famed Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, Cosmic Splendor brings together more than 60 exquisite pieces of fine jewelry, timepieces, and objets d’art that draw direct inspiration from the universe above. From golden lunar landscapes to diamond-studded spiral galaxies, the exhibition invites us to view fine jewelry through a new lens. It is not just a wearable luxury but a human response to the awe-inspiring mysteries of space.
As someone who lives at the intersection of luxury and natural history, I see Cosmic Splendor as a perfect example of how fine jewelry, mainly when built around natural diamonds and gems, serves as a bridge between Earth’s ancient past and our ever-curious future. These stones were formed deep within the Earth billions of years ago, long before humans looked to the skies for meaning. Now, through the lens of Van Cleef & Arpels, they’re transformed into jewels that honor both the heavens and the planet that birthed them.
Jewels of Cosmic Splendor
Each thematic section of the exhibition offers a different view of the cosmos. In “Take Me Away,” we see starbursts and space capsules captured in loops of diamonds, including the fantastical Tampa Necklace, inspired by Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon. “Across the Universe” zooms out to showcase swirling galaxies rendered in pink and mauve gemstones, including the Double Galaxies clips reminiscent of the Butterfly Galaxies in Virgo.
“Lunar Wonders” is a nod to our eternal fascination with the Moon. A standout is a striking yellow gold brooch modeled after the lunar surface, complete with a cabochon ruby marking the Apollo 11 landing site and identical to clips gifted to the mission’s astronauts. In “Our Star,” fiery citrines and glowing garnets flanked with diamonds embody the sun’s power, including a vintage Sun Pendant-Clip from the 1970s.
Mesmerizing pieces also appear in “Beyond Earth,” where imagination soars beyond our world. The Trappist transformable necklace and earrings, named after the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system, blend scientific curiosity with artistry. The Midnight Planétarium watch—an astronomical timepiece that tracks the actual orbit of planets—is a testament to Van Cleef & Arpels’ ability to make high jewelry both whimsical and wildly complex.
Of course, no exhibition of starry skies would be complete without the stars themselves. In “Burning Bright,” we see celestial forms come alive through luminous black opals and timeless diamond starbursts. The Astre Necklace and Asterisk Set are shining examples of how Van Cleef & Arpels captures not just the appearance of the night sky but its emotion.
The “Lucky Stars” section spotlights the Zodiac, featuring constellations brought to life through pendants, bracelets, and watches. While the cosmos may feel infinite, these pieces reflect something deeply personal and remind us that jewelry often tells stories rooted in our own lives.
A Cosmic Splendor Partnership
What makes Cosmic Splendor feel especially at home in the Museum is that it’s not just about jewelry; it’s about natural history, imagination, and craftsmanship. These gemstones were born in the Earth under unimaginable conditions, taking shape over millions—even billions—of years. They are gifts of Mother Nature, transformed into wearable works of art, equally at home in a museum display case or adorning someone on a night out in Manhattan.
Curated by Van Cleef & Arpels’ Alexandrine Maviel-Sonet and the Museum’s Kate Kiseeva, Cosmic Splendor is on view through January 4, 2026, and is included with admission to the Museum.
“We are so pleased to partner with Van Cleef & Arpels to celebrate the enduring inspiration of the cosmos through this spectacular showcase of natural beauty, creativity, and craft,” said Sean M. Decatur, President of the American Museum of Natural History. “Drawing on the Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, which tell the story of Earth’s extraordinary diversity of minerals, and the Hayden Planetarium, where visitors explore the glory of the universe, Cosmic Splendor is a particularly fitting offering for our Museum. It joins a long tradition of sharing with our visitors the natural world, science, and the great variety of cultural expression at the intersection of nature and art.”
